Counselors Courtney Ferguson and
Morgan Ruebusch had a camper whose
parents had said that they had been
working on teaching their daughter how
to ride a bike for years. Because of our
bike program she was able to learn how
to ride a bike. Courtney says...

“When her parents came to
pick her up the first thing
she told them was that she
had learned how to ride a
bike, her mother cried she
was so excited! They asked
to see Baptiste and personally thanked him for teaching
her to ride a bike.”
The attention that Baptiste gave this girl
was a driving force in her being able to
finally master riding.

MOUNTAIN BIKING FOR EVERYONE

Bikes are a hit! This summer at Camp Ernst the thrills of our Power line Mountain Biking Trails were brought
to all of our campers ages 10 and up! Cabin groups would arrive at the Skills Pad to practice maneuverability through
cones and trail simulations by riding over variously sized logs. This is to make sure campers knew what to do when
coming across mounds or ruts along the bike paths. Baptiste and Aidan, our lead instructors, took extra time with
some campers who weren’t as familiar with bicycles to make sure everyone who wanted to go out on the trails felt
comfortable and confident. Camp is the perfect place to learn how to ride a bike if you never mastered it at home.
Many campers successfully rode for their first time this summer because of the help of Baptiste, Aidan, and their
counselors. Baptiste estimates he taught, on average, one camper a day to ride a bike. This is an incredible
testament to how comfortable campers feel trying new things at camp. Instead of sitting by the wayside watching
their friends ride, these campers knew that their cabin mates and counselors would be proud and supportive of them.
When the group was all ready, they headed up Camelback Road toward the new horse stable where they descended
upon the windy power line path. First stop was near Forgotten Pond to make sure the group was keeping together.
Once the counselor at the end of the group caught up, everyone had fun navigating the trails all the way out to the
Clore-Weaver Graveyard.
The bike program is a great opportunity for campers to practice
or learn a skill that they can easily take back to their community.
Mountain biking isn’t your typical jog in the park; it’s a lot of work!
HQ BECOMES F’ARTS CENTRAL
When the campers all arrive back at the Skills Pad after almost an hour
MEET MEGAN
of riding they were ready to give their legs a rest. Campers who wanted
to ride more had the opportunity to repeat bikes during
RECORD BREAKING FAMILY CAMP
evening choice activities where they skipped the skills portion to
WEEKEND CAMPS
get right back on the trails.

Now that we have our brand new Welcome Center you may be wondering what happens in the old HQ. Well, the hub of activity
in the Valley is still Wallace Lodge (HQ) where the Fine Arts Program has taken over. The Main Hall is now the meeting point for Fine
Arts where campers hear their options for movie, music, art, and dance. From here they break into their respective groups to unleash
their creativity. Movie Club turns the entire Valley into their set; coming up with clever storylines and ways to make the rest of camp
laugh. Down in the Music Cave, Music Club rocks out on electric guitars, a drum set, and other instruments. Art Club gathers their
supplies to work on an extreme craft. In the Main Hall, Dance Club works on their choreographed routine. The old office has been
converted into an Arts & Crafts room where cabin groups go to cool off while working on their own fun craft.
The Health Center for the Valley is still located in Wallace Lodge as well as some new staff housing. The Main Hall is also the
perfect space for rainy day activities. Pictured above is the Red Unit having a Mock Rock Party. Camper groups created funny dances
to popular songs of the summer to perform for each other. The event ended as most things at camp do, in a collective dance party to
the sweet melodies of Outkast’s Hey Ya!

MEGAN, MEGAN, MEGAN

It’s Megan! Although Megan is not a new face to camp we have big news to
share as she is the new Program Director at YMCA Camp Ernst. We’re excited to
have Megan in this role and she has a lot of great ideas to keep camp at its lofty
position of “Best Camp on Earth.” Here she answers some of our biggest questions.
How was your first summer as Program Director?
Megan: This past summer was a big change in roles for me at camp and it was
amazing! I learned a lot and of course had a ton of fun! I feel very blessed to be able
to work with such a great staff, interact with our awesome campers, and do what I
love every day! My favorite part of the day was definitely hanging out with the
campers at the different activities-especially reading books at the tree house!
What is one big change we can look forward to for Summer 2014?
Megan: In summer 2014, campers can look forward to our new stables, which are now located in the Lakeview area of camp.
Campers (and horses) will definitely enjoy this new barn!
What is your favorite part of the off-season?
Megan: I really enjoy planning for next summer! I have been busy doing research and figuring out ways to make camp even
more fun for summer 2014! It can also get kind of quiet around here in the off-season, so I also look forward to having staff
and campers here for our weekend camps throughout the year.
Do you have any big plans for the off-season?
Megan: Yes! I am planning on getting a puppy this off-season!
How is it sharing an office with Log?
Megan: Don’t worry everyone-Log is still here at camp! After a summer of crazy adventures in the LIT program, Log is now
enjoying some quiet time in the office and is looking forward to having campers back here for our camper weekends. He stays
pretty quiet back there in his cubicle, but every once in a while, he will help spark some new ideas!

RECORD BREAKING FAMILY CAMP!
This Labor Day weekend the WEBN fireworks weren’t the only thing blowing up, our numbers here at camp hit record
breaking heights! The week leading up to the fun we still had families registering so we even opened the Health Centers to
house families. Families stayed in our cabins and experienced the traditional camp activities from our Opening Campfire
with songs and skits to the Sunday night Square Dance on the Blacktop. The opening ceremony for the families at Lakeview
included family introduction with skits and jokes provided by the families and Camp Ernst counselors. The night concluded
with fun circle games for the kids (and adventurous parents) which provided hours of fun. Other highlights included
watching parents come down the 100ft. waterslide and be dumbfounded by how much fun they had just had, volleyball on
Center Campus, and relaxing in the newly rebuilt Valley Pool. If the trend continues with Family Camp becoming more and
more popular each year, register early for next spring’s Memorial Day Weekend (May 24-26, 2014) to guarantee a spot!
Finally a big camp clap goes out to our 39 families who helped celebrate such a fun weekend together this year.

Camp Ernst isn’t just a summer camp; it’s a Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring Camp! Campers can come enjoy the
week-long fun of camp in a pint sized weekend. We offer our two Lumberjack Weekends (Oct 4-6th, Nov 8-10th), Winter
Wonderland (Dec 30, 2013 Jan 1, 2014), and Spring Fling (Apr 1113. 2014) to campers who need a little camp to hold
them over until next summer.
Campers arrive Friday evening to get to know their cabins and start camp with our traditional opening campfire.
Saturday is a fun filled day stopping by the barn to ride horses, visiting the ropes course for our high ropes elements, and
finishing off with an evening program and a “Camp Ernst Party!” Camp Ernst Parties consist of cotton candy, sno-kones,
popcorn, pop music, and a lot of fun activities. How to we contain this much fun in one weekend? With our amazing
counselors who make the trip back from school to get their camp fix as well.
Similar to our Half-Week and Introduction to Summer Camp programs in the summer, Camp Ernst Weekend Camps
are a great opportunity for new campers to experience the joy of camp without being away for a whole week. For those
campers returning to camp, the Lumberjack weekends, Winter Wonderland, and Spring Fling are great opportunities to
reunite with the friends they made of summer and to meet some new friends, too!